Climate Action and Resilience Plan

The climate crisis requires revolutionary thinking and action. In Concord, we know a thing or two about that.

Download the full Climate Action and Resilience Plan here

Priority Actions

The Climate Action and Resilience Plan outlines 22 priority actions that can be taken over the next 5 years to ensure Concord is on a path to a sustainable future.

The Plan is organized into five plan elements. Click on the arrows to expand the sections to review the actions within each plan element.

Each action has a implementation blueprint that includes details about steps, partners, timeframes, and more. Click to “View Implementation Blueprint” to view detailed implementation steps and more specific timeframes.

The status of some action is “in progress” because implementation is already underway. Actions that are “awaiting resources” will be initiated according to the implementation blueprint and when town staff time, funding, or other resources are available to begin.

Built Environment

Goal

Concord’s buildings and solid waste system minimize GHG emissions and are resilient to a changing climate.

Action	Description	Timeline
BE.A	Increase electrification and reduce energy consumption of residential buildings. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
BE.B	Improve energy performance of commercial buildings. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
BE.C	Set progressive sustainability standards for new municipal buildings and schools and develop a phased plan for deep energy retrofits to existing town buildings. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
BE.D	Establish policies and incentives for new development to achieve high standards for sustainability and resilient design. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
BE.E		2020 - 2025

Energy

Goal

Concord’s electricity is 100% carbon-free, reliable and affordable.

Action	Description	Timeline
E.A	Redesign electricity rates to support energy conservation, peak load management, electrification, and renewable energy generation. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
E.B	Provide incentives for businesses/homeowners to invest in renewable energy. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
E.C	Shift CMLP’s electricity supply to 100% carbon-free sources by 2030. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
E.D	Deploy utility-scale energy storage. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025

Mobility

Goal

Everyone has access to zero carbon transportation options to commute and get around Concord.

Action	Description	Timeline
M.A	Increase use of public transportation and other low-carbon and no-carbon transportation options. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
M.B	Accelerate adoption of electric vehicles. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
M.C	Implement a long-term plan to electrify school and municipal vehicle fleets. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
M.D	Improve availability, accessibility, and connections between bicycling and walking paths and sidewalks. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025

Natural Resources

Goal

Concord’s natural resources are enhanced and supported to provide resilience benefits to the community and to maximize biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

Action	Description	Timeline
NR.A	Develop forest management plan to enhance health of Concord's forests. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
NR.B	Increase indoor and outdoor water conservation. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
NR.C	Work with homeowners to promote sustainable landscaping practices. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
NR.D	Assess the vulnerability of natural resources most at risk to projected climate changes. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
NR.E	Assess and improve Concord's tree canopy. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025

Preparedness

Goal

Concord’s critical infrastructure is designed to reduce emissions and be prepared for projected climate impacts.

Action	Description	Timeline
P.A	Develop an integrated water resource management plan. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
P.B	Conduct a threat assessment for Concord’s critical infrastructure. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
P.C	Update stormwater regulations and create a stormwater utility. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025
P.D	Increase the use of green infrastructure and low impact development. View Implementation Blueprint	2020 - 2025

Introducing the Climate Action and Resilience Plan

Leadership

The Town recognizes that truly effective climate leadership is not only about implementing a set of discrete actions. It is about integrating sustainability into daily operations, decision-making, and planning for the future. It requires applying a climate lens to how Concord governs and serves the needs of community members. It calls for a culture of climate change awareness and understanding.

For these reasons, the Town of Concord has identified 3 cross-cutting priorities for leadership:

Governance - Integrate sustainability goals, metrics, and evaluation criteria into all Town planning, including staff and department evaluations and budgeting.
Education - Work with educators, parents, students, the School Department, and the State to bring climate education curricula into schools and student activities.
Social Resilience - Prepare businesses and residents for the impacts of climate change through education and climate preparedness planning.

Putting the Plan in Action

The Town of Concord and the Sustainability Department invite your engagement to implement the Sustainable Concord Plan and to monitor our progress through this site. Explore the dashboard to learn more about our performance data, and why we are taking action. Download the plan to read offline and be sure to explore all the resources available to you on the Town's Sustainability Department webpage.

Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter to stay informed of all the latest developments and don't forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter too.